Blade holder



N04,. 9, 1948. s. CORBETT 2,453,198

BLADE HOLDER Filed Jan. 18, 1945 lmfiafir Mme/151.4 5. Coeagrr M MM E Pat ented Nov. 9, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE BLADE HOLDER Mitchell S. Corbett, Oak Park, Ill.

Application January 18, 1945, Serial No. 573,440

Claims. (Cl. 30--336) This invention relates to a blade holder adapted to hold a cutting blade in either longitudinally or transversely curved condition, and also to serve as a guard for the cutting edge of the blade. More specifically, the invention relates to a simple blade holder which is curved to impart curvature to a resilient blade held thereby for greater efiiciency'and safety.

In certain cutting operations, such as the paring of corns, callouses, and the like, the removal of paint spots, and similar operations, it is common to employ a thin, resilient metal blade, such as the common safety razor blade. It is diflicult to employ such a blade, however, by simply grasping it in the fingers, particularly if a blade having two cutting edges is employed. Consequently, a holder of some kind is commonly used in which the blade is secured. Such holders are usually provided in such form or arrangement that when the blade is held therein, the structure is substantially that of a knife with a handle. Such holders do not take full advantage of the possibilities afforded by the flexibility of the blades. In fact, special provision is often made to prevent flexing of the blade. Various means are employed to hold the blade in the holders which have heretofore been developed, such as screws, projections, wedging or camming means, and the like, requiring more or less manipulation in order to permit assembly and disassembly of the blade and holder.

The blade holder of this invention is of extreme simplicity, and is so formed that no securing means are required to hold the blade affixed in the holder. Furthermore, the present invention provides a blade holder so formed that it holds the blade in curved condition so that only a portion of the blade cutting edge is in contact with the material being cut or scraped, so that undesired and unnecessary ,cutting, scraping, or scratching of the material or surface is avoided. The cutting edge may, however, be straightened or flattened in use if desired so as to increase the cutting or scraping contact. The blade holder may also be utilized to hold a blade with the cutting edge straight but with the blade transversely curved, so that a rotary cutting action may be obtained. The blade holder of this invention may also be utilized as a guard for the cutting edge of a blade, or a plurality of the blade holders may be utilized as guards for a plurality of cutting edges on a single blade.

It is an object of this invention to provide a blade holder which securely holds a blade Without requiring any special securing means.

It is another object of this invention so formed as to hold a blade therein in curved condition.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a blade holder which serves as a guard for the cutting edge of a blade.

It is also an object of this invention to'provide a blade holder which permits absolute control of the amount of cutting pressure and of the direction, depth, and location of the cut made by the blade held therein.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a holder for a resilient .cutting blade so constructed that the blade is secured therein by the resilience of the blade itself.

Other and further objects and advantages of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following description and the appended drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the blade holder of this invention;

Figure 2 is a front elevational View of the blade holder of this invention with a blade secured therein;

Figure 3 is an end View of the blade holder with a blade therein; 3

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line IV-IV of Figure 2;

Figure 5 is a front elevational view of a pair of blade holders utilized as guards, for the cutting edges of a double-edged blade; and

Figure 6 is a front elevational view of a pair of blade holders applied to the'ends of a doubleedged blade.

The blade holder [0 of this invention, as shown in the drawings, comprises a generally channel shaped member which is longitudinally curved and has a front Wall II and a rear wall I2 disposed in substantially parallel relation. One edge of the channel member is open, and the other is closed by an enlarged hollow bead portion l3 which connects the front and rear walls H and I2. The blade holder may be formedof any suitable material, and it will be obvious that it may readily be made of a single piece of such material. The connecting head portion 53 serves not only to join the walls II and I2, but also as a stiffening or rigidifying element for the blade holder. It further provides a convenient gripping means facilitating firm grasping of the blade holder ID by the fingers. The blade holder may be madewith the walls I I and I2 slightly space apart, as shown in Figure 1.

A blade l4, illustrated in the drawings as a conventional double-edged razor blade, possessing re- 3 quisite qualties of flexibility and resilience, is held in the blade holder 10. One edge of the blade I4 is inserted between the walls H and I2 and extends into the interior of the connecting bead portion l3. When the blade is so inserted in the blade holder 10, it necessarily assumes a longitudinal curvature corresponding to that of the blade holder. The resilience of the blade :tends to return the blade to its normal fiat condition, with the res-ultthat 'the'blade is firmly secured in the blade holder by a sort of binding action, without requiring the use of any clamps, screws, or the like. It will be obvious that if the blade holder I is formed with a space between the walls II and t2, the space may be greater than the thickness of the blade because it is not frictional surface contact between the blade and the walls, but the tension of the blade, which is depended upon to retain the blade in the holder. If the holder I0 is formed so that the walls l l and i2 are resiliently urged together, the blade ii is secured not only by itstendency to straighten out in the curved holder [0 but also by the resilient clamping action of the walls I] and I2 on the blade. The curvature of the holder l0 and therefore of the blade [4 may be .more -or.less than indicated in the drawings, particularly in Figure 4, and it will also be clear that thecurv-ature may be arcuate or non-arcuate, as -may be desired. In Figure .4 is shown a cross-sectional view of a blade held ina channelmemb-er in which thespace-between the walls of the member .is the exact thickness of the blade and therefore .the blade will assume the exact curvature of the opening.

In use, the holder i8 with the blade l4 therein is heldin theflngers and is manipulated as desired or necessary-t0 accomplish the cutting operation. The curvature of the blade results in the-employment of only a limited portion of the cutting edge in delicate cutting operations, such as the paring. .y

of corns, callouses and the like, with the remainderof the cutting edge being held out of contact with the area surrounding the portion being cut, thus preventing unintentional or undesired cut- .ting in the portion adjacent the portion being-cut.-

The curvature of the blade also permits variation vin the size and depth of cuts by permitting a greater or smaller .portion ofthe cutting edge to .be employed in making any particular out. When the blade is utilized as a scraper, particularly on a hard surface, the cutting edge may be straightened orfiattened if desired by pressing the edge against the surface so that a greater area may be scraped at one stroke. The flexibility and resilience of the blade permits such deformation of the cutting .edge, while still maintaining unflattened portions .ofthe cutting edge out of contact with the surface thermore the lever efiect of a handle is likely to cause a difierence between the actual cut made and that intended. Since the holder [0 and the blade 1 4 t erein are grasped directly by the hand, close and direct control of the blade is maintained at all times, as will be obvious.

on the concave surface, and the fingers on the back or convex space, the curvature of theholder and blade thus lending itself readily to a natural grip. With this grip, it is'simple and easy to shift the thumb and fingers to the unconfined po tion The thumb rests Lil 4 of the blade and flex it into a sharper curve merely by pressing in opposite directions with the thumb and fingers. if greater curvature of the blade is desired than is provided by the holder. It has already been explained how the cutting edge or unconfined portion of the blade may be flat tened or straightened if less curvature is desired.

As thus far described, the blade holder I0 has been considered only as holding a blade in longitudinally curved condition. .elt-iwill be obvious,

however, that the holderdil may be applied over the end of a blade so that the cutting edge is straight and not curved, but the body of the blade assumes a transverse curvature. Due to the resilience of the blade, the free end, which is relatively remote from the strength of the blade holder, tendsto have a lesser degree of curvature than the portion of the blade in and adjacent the holder. For this'reason, it is usually desirable to provide a blade holder H] on each: end of the blade, as shown in Figure 6, and thus assure uniform curvature o the blade throughout its length.

Thetransverse curvature of the blade achieved by applying a blade holder H] to the endinstead of anedge thereof provides a convenient means for moving the cutting edge of the blade'out of engagement with the material being-cut or scraped.

It is particularly advantageous in close 01 precise work where a very short-cutting or scrapingstroke is desirable. The curvature of the blade and of the holder permits the blade to be rocked so that the cutting-edgeis movedupwardly out of engagement with the material and thus avoids any undesiredcutting thereof even if thestroke of the blade continues. The rocking movement can be performed very quickly so as to move the cutting edge abruptly out of engagement with the material if desirable or necessary.

It will be obvious that the blade may be .positioned with its cutting edge extending beyond the ends of the blade holders, in alignment with the blade holder ends, or intermediate the opposite ends of each holder. When thecutting edge does not extend beyond the ends of the blade holders, the holders serve to limit the effective length of the cutting edge. The assembled'blade andblade holders may be grasped'in any convenient manner by either one hand or both hands, and if desired may be so held that the cutting edge of the blade may be flexed from its straightened condition, much in the manner as described in connec tion with the additional flexing of the blade when held longitudinally curved by a blade holder.

It will beobv-ious thatthe bladeholder 10 serves as .a guard for a cutting edge of a blade. If a blade with a single cutting edge is employed, the blade holder is applied to the blunt edge thereof when the'blade is to be used, and slipped therefrom and applied over the cutting edge when the bladeisidle. If a-double-edged blade is employed, 't'hebladeholdermay :be applied over either edge and the other edge used .for the cutting operation. When the blade .is no longer in use, a second blade holder may be applied over the edge used for cuttingandbo'th cutting edges are then guarded. .In either .case, the blade .may safelybe handled or transported without requiring additional precautions against. unintentional cutting by theblade, since the blade will be securely held in the blade holder or blade holders by reason of itsresilience, as already described.

It will, of course, be understood that various details of construction may be varied through a wide range Without departing from the principles of thisinvention and it is, therefore, notthe P111;-

poses to limit the patent granted hereon otherwise than necessitated by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A one-piece blade holder comprisin a pair of parallel opposed wall portions curved longitudinally and an enlarged hollow bead portion connecting said wall portions.

2. A blade holder for a resilient blade comprising a channel member longitudinally curved and receiving a blade in the channel thereof and being secured on said blade by resilient engagement of said member and blade.

3. A cutting device comprising a longitudinally curved channel member and a resilient blade having one edge held in said member and a parallel cutting edge protruding therefrom, said blade being held in longitudinally curved condition by said member.

4. A cutting device comprising a resilient blade and a blade holder on each end thereof, each of said blade holders comprising a longitudinally curved channel member receiving a blade end to hold said blade in transversely curved condition.

5. A one-piece blade holder comprising a. pair of parallel opposed wall portions curved longitudinally and an enlarged hollow head portion connecting said wall portions, the inner side of said wall portions providing a curved channel adapted to receive a blade therein and the outer side of said Wall portions providing a gripping surface for the fingers of the operator.

' MITCHELL S. CORBEI'I'.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

